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- Clustering Validation in the Context of Hierarchical Cluster Analysis: an Empirical StudyPublication . Silva, Osvaldo Dias Lopes da; Sousa, Áurea; Bacelar-Nicolau, HelenaABSTRACT: The evaluation of clustering structures is a crucial step in cluster analysis. This study presents the main results of the hierarchical cluster analysis of variables concerning a real dataset in the context of Higher Education. The goal of this research is to find a typology of some relevant items taking into account both the homogeneity and the isolation of the clusters.Two similarity measures, namely the standard affinity coefficient and Spearman’s correlation coefficient, were used, and combined with three probabilistic (AVL, AVB and AV1) aggregation criteria, from a parametric family in the scope of the VL (Validity Link) methodology. The best partitions were selected based on some validation indices, namely the global STAT levels statistics and the measures P(I2, Σ) and , adapted to the case of similarity coefficients. In order to evaluate the clusters and identify their most representative elements, the Mann and Whitney U statistics and the silhouette plot were also used.